Double carton assemblages



1968 F. P. KESSLER ETAL 3,365,109

DOUBLE CARTON AS'SEMBLAGES Filed Sept. 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTORS FREDERICK P. KESSLER WILLIAM A. KUENZI ATTORNEYS 1968 F. P. KESSLER ETAL 3, 0

DOUBLE CARTON ASSEMBLAGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1966 INVENTORS FREDERICK P. KESSLER WILLIAM A, KUENZI ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 3,365,109 DOUBLE CARTGN ASSEMBLAGES Frederick P. Kessler and William A. Kuenzi, Milwaukee, Wis, assignors to Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Win, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 582,994 9 Claims. (Cl. 229-15) This invention relates to improvements in double carton assemblages.

In certain parts of the country double cartons each holding twelve beverage bottles, such as beer bottles, have been nested alongside one another in a single tray, the arrangement being such that the assemblage has the same dimensions as a standard twenty-four bottle carton. This is desirable so that the same bottle-removing and bottle-loading mechanism may be used in the brewery or other beverage plant as is used in handling single twentyfour bottle cartons.

Heretofore it had only been considered practical, with this type of carton, to have two flaps, which flaps were on the sides of the tray, parallel to the direction of travel on the loading and unloading conveyor. If flaps were used on the contiguous walls of the two cartons in the tray these would be extra flaps as far as the standard machinery for handling single twenty-four bottle cartons are concerned, and these extra flaps could not be handled or sealed without special equipment. Also, by eliminating the leading and trailing flaps, which would extend transversely of travel on the conveyor, the problem of holding such flaps down during unloading and loading was eliminated, and it was only necessary to have a simple plow arrangement to raise the flaps on the sides of the tray into substantial parallelism with their carton walls. This would keep the flaps out of the way of the unloader and loader.

In a brewery it is standard practice to have standard twenty-four bottle cartons containing unfilled bottles travel on a conveyor, to then remove the twenty-four unfilled bottles simultaneously by unloading mechanism, and to later reload with twenty-four filled bottles. The twoflap double cartons, as heretofore used, permitted unloading and loading with the same equipment that handles single twenty-four bottle cartons. With the two-flap cartons, however, it was heretofore necessary to provide some way of sealing the two flaps down after the cartons were filled. This was accomplished by the use of inverted trays which had to be manually placed over the tops of the bottles within the upper portion of each carton to form a support against which the two flaps could be sealed. The manual placement of these inverted trays required the use of three extra men per shift and, addition, there was a substantial extra cost involved in roviding the trays.

The reason only two flaps have heretofore been employed on tray-type double carton assemblages is that if there were flaps on the leading and trailing edges of the assemblage as it traveled with the conveyor there Was no practical way of holding these flaps down during unloading and loading.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved construction wherein three flaps may be employed on each carton so that there is a leading and a trailing flap on each assemblage, and wherein certain flaps are held down by bridging connections during unloading and loading, the improved construction making it possible to sever the bridging connections to thereby permit the ready closing of the flaps when required, the three flaps of each carton being thereafter glued to each other, making it possible to eliminate the inverted trays over the tops of the bottles.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a double carton assemblage wherein each carton has three flaps, the otherwise fourth flap contiguous to. the mating carton being eliminated, the construction being such as to permit use of bridging connections during loading and unloading while providing for severance of the bridging connections after loading has taken place, notwithstanding the extra thickness of the tray sides. With this novel arrangement, permitting the use of three flaps, the latter can then be sealed to each other by use of the same sealing equipment as is used on the standard twenty-four bottle carton, and inverted flap sealing trays can be eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton assemblage as above described in which one of the locked down flaps has an extension near its free corner while the other portion of the flap terminates short of the upper edge of the tray wall. By having such extension, then, when the carton is sealed, the end flaps will at least meet over that portion of the top where light would otherwise be permitted to enter because of the omission of a fourth closure flap.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved double carton assemblages, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double carton assemblage as it appears on a conveyor prior to severence of the bridging connections, the bottles and partitions being omitted from the cartons for clarity, and a stationary bridge-cutting knife being illustrated in position between a flap extension and a tray side wall at a side of the assemblage, the knife 36', being shown in dot and dash lines at an end of the assemblage;

FIG. 2 is a plan View of a cut and scored blank for one of the cartons;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tray alone;

FIG. 4 is a partially diagrammatic view showing cartons traveling on a conveyor and approaching the bridgecutting knives; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of one of the sealed cartons.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, first to FIG. 1, the assemblage includes a tray 12 of suitable fibrous material, such as corrugated board, and two cartons A and B, preferably formed of material like that used for the tray, the cartons being nested in reverse positions in the tray 12. The tray may be of conventional construction as shown in FIG. 3 and may comprise a bottom 13, upwardly-folded longitudinal sides 14, and upwardlyfolded ends 15'. The sides and ends are preferably held in assembled position vby the use of glued flaps 16 in a well known manner.

Each carton is formed as shown by the blank of FIG. 2 and comprises side walls 17 and 18, and end walls 19 and 2t? folded relative to one another on lines of scoring 21, 22 and 23. One end of the Wall '18 has a short flap 24 which is secured to the opposite end of the blank in the assemblage to form the manufacturers joint. The wall 18 has a bottom flap 25, but no top flap. The opposite wall 17 has a bottom flap 26 and a top flap 27. The end wall 19 has a bottom flap 28 and a top flap 29, and the end wall 20 has a bottom flap 3% and a top flap 31. The flaps 27 and 29 are connected in the blank by a short bridging connection 32 for the purpose of providing a lock-back construction for the flaps 27 and 29. The free edge of the flap 27 is cut off short as at 33 so that the flap 27 is slightly shorter than the edge 34' of a cut-out 34 on the contiguous portion of the flap 29. Before the carton is assembled, and while the flaps 27 and 29 are in alignment, they are folded downwardly together. Then, when the carton is opened out, the bridging connections 32 will hold the flaps 27 and 29 down adjacent the walls 17 and 19 in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

In arranging the cartons for use in a tray, as in FIG. 1, the flap-free side wall 18 of one carton is contiguous with the flap-free side walls 18 of the adjacent nested carton in the same tray. This causes the bridging connection 32 of one carton to be diagonally opposite the bridging connection 32 of the companion carton, as is clear from FIG. 1, and it is a feature of this invention that the bridging connections be above the sides of the tray. Referring to carton A of FIG. 1, it is to be noted that the flap 27 has an unsecured end with its corner cut off at an oblique angle as at 27, which corner naturally springs outwardly as shown so that this lower corner is offset laterally out wardly from the wall 15 of the tray.

The lower edge of the flap 27 terminates short of the upper edge of the side wall of the tray. This shortness of the flap 227 permits use of the bridging connection 32 in spite of the use of a tray having sides. If it were not for this arrangement the bridging connection could not be successfully used at this corner, as the extra thickness of the tray could not be readily inserted between the flap and the side wall of the carton at a corner where the bridging connection causes the flaps to closely hug their walls. In the carton A the recess 34 of the flap 2? permits the latter flap to be held down by the bridging connection without anyproblem resulting from the extra thickness of the tray side wall and the corner 29 naturally springs outwardly as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to carton B of the assemblage of FIG. 1, this is the same as described in connection with carton A except that it is reversed in position so that its bridging connection 32 s diametrically opposte the bridging connecton 32 of carton A, there being a long flap portion 129 on the opposite side of the tray from the long flap portion 129 of carton A, and there being a short edge 34' adjacent the trailing end of the tray of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the numeral 351: designates diagrammatically a conveyor along which the carton assemblages C are caused to travel in the direction indicated by the arrow. With the novel method of procedure of the present invention, the cartons are nested in the tray with tray side oprtions received between the long flap portions 12% and the side walls of the cartons. The cartons with unfilled bottles (not shown) are loaded on the conveyor 35:: with the flaps 31 of each carton loose and are conveyed through the unloading mechanism (not shown) and then through the loading mechanism where each assemblage receives twenty-four filled bottles. For clarity, neither the bottle partitions nor bottles are shown. As heretofore explained, this involves use of conventional loading and unloading mechanism commonly used in the handling of single twenty-four bottle cartons, there being suitable means such as conventional plows for raising the flaps and sutiable guides for maintaining the loose flaps 31 in an upright, non-interferring position with respect to the unloading and loading mechanism. After the cartons have been loaded, they are conveyed to a suitably supported stationary knife 36 which enters between the outwardlysprung corner 29 of the flap 29 and the side 14 of the tray, as shown by full lines in FIG. 1, while the container is moving on the conveyor portion 35a, the extension 129 guiding the knife to a position between the short portion of the flap 29 and its side wall, as shown in FIG. 1, Where it will effectively sever the bridging connection 32 of carton B of FIG. 1 at the trailing corner of the box shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 4 the knife is indicated by the numeral 36. The assemblage is then moved in a direction at right angles to its former direction of movement by the conveyor portion 351) which has a knife 36 positioned to enter within the angled corner 27 of the flap 27, as shown by dot and dash lines in FIG. 1, as the container is moved by the conveyor 35b. Ultimately the knife enters into a position between the flap 27 and its side wall, and finally into severing engagement with the bridging connection 32 on the carton A. The angling of the inherently outwardly sprung corner 27' aids entry of the knife as it helps to assure that the carton is positioned against the knife to properly position the cutting edge of the knife under the flap 27. it is to be noted that the bridging connections 32 are above the upper edges of the sides of the tray.

After the bridging connections have been severed the flaps 29 and 31 of each carton are folded over on top of the fiap 27 by conventional sealing mechanism and sealed thereto by a suitable adhesive to close the carton as shown in FIG. 5. By having the extension 129 on the flap 29, the right hand portions of the flaps Z9 and 31 of FIG. 5 will at least meet when the box is closed, to shut off light which would otherwise penetrate to the contents because of the elimination of the fourth flap.

Because this method of procedure makes it possible to use the flaps 27 on the leading and trailing ends of the tray assemblage of FIG. 1, it is unnecessary to employ inverted trays over the tops of the cartons as a light protector and sealing base for the flaps 29 and 31 as was necessary with double carton assemblages having two flap cartons. This eliminates the use of three extra men per shift to insert the inverted trays, and saves the cost of the eliminated flap-sealing trays.

It is also apparent that the improved carton assemblage and method make it possible to unload, load and seal twin carton assemblages by use of the same machinery now employed in connection with single twenty-four bottle cartons.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. A carton assemblage comprising two like rectangular cartons in juxtaposed position, a rectangular tray having a short upstanding surrounding wall snugly receiving said juxtaposed cartons, each carton having three only of its upright walls provided with top closure flaps foldably connected to the upper edges of said walls, and having a fourth upright wall which is positioned against the corresponding wall of the other carton in the tray, two of said closure flaps of each carton which are at right angles to each other being in downwardly-folded position against their respective upright walls, said last-mentioned flaps having adjacent ends joined by a severable bridging connection for temporarily maintaining said flaps in said downwardly-folded position, said bridging connections being located above the upper edge of the tray wall so as to be accessible to a severing knife.

2. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 1 in which there is means on each carton for guiding a relatively movable cutting knife along the exterior of a tray wall into position between the carton wall and a downwardly-folded flap and into severing engagement with the bridging connection for said flap.

3. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 2 in which said guiding means is formed by a portion of at least one of those flaps which is held down by the bridging connection.

4. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 3 in which said guiding flap portion is a free, inherently outwardly sprung lower corner of a flap.

5. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 1 in which the lower edge of one downwardly-folded flap has a short portion adjacent the bridging connection which terminates short of the upper edge of the tray wall and has a long portion which overhangs the tray wall and which is of a length to at least meet the edge of the opposite flap when the carton is sealed to thereby shut out light in spite of the elimination of a fourth closure flap.

6. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 1 in which the bridging conne t on of one carton is at that corner of the tray which is diametrically opposite the bridging connection of the other carton.

7. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 1 in which the tray has a long dimension and a short dimension, and in which the cartons each have a long dimension and a short dimension with the long dimensions of the cartons extending transversely of the long dimension of the tray, and in which one of the flaps of each carton which is held down by a bridging connection is folded from that long wall of each carton which is at an end of the tray, and in which the other of the held-down flaps which is folded from a short wall of the carton is at a side of the tray, the third flap of each carton being folded from a short wall of each carton at a side of the tray and being in free condition while the other flaps are held down.

8. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim '1 in which two of the top closure flaps are adapted to be folded over the third closure flap after severance of the bridging connections, and in which said flaps are of a size and shape to substantially close the carton.

9. A carton assemblage as claimed in claim 5 in which the depending lower flap portion which overlaps the side of the tray has a free corner which inherently springs outwardly to permit easy entry of a knife between said corner and the side of the tray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,288 5/1915 Robinson 22937 1,765,104 6/1930 Shearer 22937 2,340,229 1/ 1944 Shakman 22915 XR 2,718,348 9/ 1955 Montfort 22937 2,783,933 3/1957 Sharts 22937 3,281,050 10/1966 Suchodolski 22937 3,276,658 10/1966 Locke 22915 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARTON ASSEMBLAGE COMPRISING TWO LIKE RECTANGULAR CARTONS IN JUXTAPOSED POSITION, A RECTANGULAR TRAY HAVING A SHORT UPSTANDING SURROUNDING WALL SNUGLY RECEIVING SAID JUXTAPOSED CARTONS, EACH CARTON HAVING THREE ONLY OF ITS UPRIGHT WALLS PROVIDED WITH TOP CLOSURE FLAPS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID WALLS, AND HAVING A FOURTH UPRIGHT WALL WHICH IS POSITIONED AGAINST THE CORRESPONDING WALL OF THE OTHER CARTON IN THE TRAY, TWO OF SAID CLOSURE FLAPS OF EACH CARTON WHICH ARE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER BEING IN DOWNWARDLY-FOLDED POSITION AGAINST THEREIN RESPECTIVE UPRIGHT WALLS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED FLAPS HAVING ADJACENT ENDS JOINED BY A SEVERABLE BRIDGING CONNECTION FOR TEMPORARILY MAINTAINING SAID FLAPS IN SAID DOWNWARDLY-FOLDED POSITION, SAID BRIDGING CONNECTIONS BEING LOCATED ABOVE THE UPPER EDGE OF THE TRAY WALL SO AS TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO A SEVERING KNIFE. 